Chad: “Here we see dozens of mothers who lose their children to acute malnutrition every year”

A mother and her malnourished child. Médecins Sans Frontières set up a 50 bed inpatient therapeutic feeding program in the Massakory hospital, north of N'Djamena, to treat severely malnourished children. © MSF

As the Hadjer Lamis region of western Chad is facing a nutritional crisis, Médecins Sans Frontières has set up a number of emergency feeding interventions. One of these is in Massakoury, one of the country’s main towns more than two hours drive from N’Djamena, where Médecins Sans Frontières set up a therapeutic feeding centre. Dr Benoit Kayembe, the medical coordinator for this project, gives the details.

The food situation is serious throughout the Chadian Sahel strip that extends from the Hadjer Lamis and Kanem regions through Batha and Guéra. This is the result of two successive years of drought, swarms of locusts, a lack of drinking water and no access to care. The health care system in this region is shaky, even non-existent in some areas.

Could you describe the medical situation?

The best way to describe the magnitude of the food situation is to tell the story of Rabia, a mother aged twenty or so, who brought us her one-year old son who was immediately admitted in our programme suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Rabia had already lost three children from this illness that can, however, be easily treated. Here we see dozens of mothers who lose their children to acute malnutrition every year.

Since we started our action here, more than three weeks ago, we admitted more than 1,000 malnourished children into our programmes; around one hundred of them had to be hospitalised.

Could you describe the program?

Currently, in Massakoury, we have one ITFC, inpatient therapeutic feeding centre, where malnourished children who have serious additional medical complications, such as respiratory infections, are hospitalized, and 15 ATFCs outpatient therapeutic feeding centres, where children are treated but as outpatients in the various zones around Massakoury. Most of our patients live in places that are some five-hour drive from N’Djamena. It is thus essential to set up mobile units to give patients easier access. Children suffering from severe acute malnutrition with medical complications are then referred to the Massakoury ITFC by Médecins Sans Frontières teams.

How are these children being treated?

Children treated in the outpatient programmes are each given a systematic medical treatment and a week’s supply of “Plumpy Nut”, a ready-to-use therapeutic food product made up of peanuts and milk. It is rich in the micronutrients and vitamins that are needed by these children.

The children hospitalised in Massakoury are very weak, unable to drink or swallow, and even unconscious. In this case, beside medical care, they are given therapeutic milk initially, and Plumpy Nut later, once they start recovering. As soon as their condition allows it, they are followed as outpatients by the ATFC.

Médecins Sans Frontières is calling for more organisations to intervene in the region

Some actors are already active in certain regions of Chad, but this is not the case in all the regions affected. It is necessary to have more actors involved to meet the needs of nearly two million people who are thought to require food aid in Chad in the coming months. If the international community does not intervene rapidly, this country is on the brink of a catastrophic food crisis.

Médecins Sans Frontières is currently active in the Batha, Guera, Hadjer Lamis, Salamat and Quaddai regions as well as in the capital N’Djamena. It is also planning to carry out an assessment around Massaguet where the situation seems to be as serious as in Massakoury

How are the local authorities reacting to the situation?

The local, regional and national authorities are aware that the food situation is very serious, owing to poor crops resulting from the drought and swarms of locusts in the last two years. The fields didn’t produce much and the crops are of very poor quality. Food prices are up and cattle breeders are selling their cattle to get money to buy food for their family.

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